Theresa Lynn Tetley, the so-called “Bitcoin Maven,” who admitted to running a Bitcoin-for-cash exchange business without a license, as well as laundering Bitcoin purchased from the proceeds of drug trafficking, was last week sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and also fined $20,000.

The Downfall Of The Bitcoin Maven

She reveled in being known as the “Bitcoin Maven,” a moniker she gave herself because of her deep knowledge of cryptocurrency. That knowledge enabled her to make a substantial amount of money in a shorts space of time.

However, this week, Theresa Lynn Tetley, aged 50, of Southern California, who in a former, less complicated life had been a stockbroker and real estate investor, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of operating a money transmitting business without a license, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison by US District Judge Manuel L. Real.

The official charge was conducting an illegal business and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions involving Bitcoins. Tetley was also ordered to forfeit some 40 Bitcoin, worth around $250,000, to forfeit $292,264.00 in cash, as well as 25 assorted gold bars (worth around $12,500) that were deemed to be the proceeds of her illegal activities.

Between $6-$9.5 Million In Illegal Transactions

The court heard how Tetley ran a Bitcoin-for-cash exchange platform without first registering with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). She had also failed to implement anti-money-laundering mechanisms such as customer due diligence, and had failed to report certain transactions required for these types of businesses.

Tetley advertised on the website LocalBitcoins.com, and took part in illegal transactions that totaled between $6-$9.5 million. Her customers were almost all from the United States. Ironically, clients that used her exchange received no special favors, as Tetley actually charged higher rates for Bitcoin transactions than legal exchange platforms do.

Laundered Drug Money Earned On The Dark Web

The most serious offence – at least in the eyes of the public – was that Tetley knowingly laundered funds from an individual suspected of receiving Bitcoin as payment for selling drugs on the “Dark Web.” During the investigation, an undercover agent representing himself as a drug trafficker successfully swapped Bitcoin for cash using Tetley’s exchange platform.

According to sentencing documents, the prosecution had successfully argued that:

“In light of the growth of the dark web and the use of digital currency, unlicensed exchangers provide an avenue of laundering for those who use digital currency for illicit purposes. Tetley’s business fueled a black-market financial system that purposely and deliberately existed outside of the regulated bank industry.”

The case against Tetley was the first of its kind in the annals of the Central District of California.